<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1M0dj7_17tFzj5000" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1M0dj7_17tFzj5000" width="1920" height="1080" >It's a section that's largely fallen off of job seekers' resumes today: a person's hobbies and personal interests outside of work.But Yolanda Seals-Coffield, US Chief People and Inclusion Officer at professional services giant PwC, still loves to ask about it."It gives them an opportunity to talk freely about something that's really important to them and I think it just helps me get a better sense of the person," Seals-Coffield tells CNBC Make It.A good answer should be realistic and honest."I don't need you to tell me that you go out and you're hiking every day or you're out working in the community every single hour of the weekend," Seals-Coffield says. "I'm okay if you tell me, like, you listen to audiobooks and you meditate or you love photography. I'm also okay with people saying — and this used to be the answer I would have told you if you asked me 15 years ago what I did outside of work — I would say I'm with my kids."The point is to give a sense of yourself as a "whole person," which includes who you are outside of work, she says."The actual substance of what they're doing doesn't matter as much as their ability to sort of talk about something that they're passionate about and that they care a lot about," Seals-Coffield says. "I love to see that in people and hear that from people because I think that gives you another insight into their authentic self."When answering that question, or any other in the interview, she says it's important to prepare beforehand but not to the point where you're giving overly rehearsed or canned answers.Seals-Coffield notices when candidates practice a response so much that they come across "over-scripted," or if they're "telling me what they think I want to hear as opposed to sharing their real life lived experiences," she says.The danger is that these answers no longer feel personal, she adds, and that could hurt your chances of getting the job."And if they aren't personal, then you're missing an opportunity as a candidate to help me really understand how your life has been shaped by your experiences," she says. "I want to get to know that individual and I'm going to do that more if the person is being truly authentic, and sometimes you lose authenticity if you're over-scripted."Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC's new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 25% off. Offer valid from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19, 2026. Terms apply.</div></body>

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It's a section that's largely fallen off of job seekers' resumes today: a person's hobbies and personal interests outside of work. But Yolanda Seals-Coffield, US Chief People and Inclusion Officer at professional services giant PwC, still loves to ask about it. "It gives them an opportunity to talk freely about...

The job interview question this PwC exec always asks to draw out a candidate's 'authentic self'

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It's a section that's largely fallen off of job seekers' resumes today: a person's hobbies and personal interests outside of work. But Yolanda Seals-Coffie

The job interview question this PwC exec always asks to draw out a candidate's 'authentic self'

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